Carton with interlocking chime engaging and carrying means



Nov. 26, 1968 F. E. NAUMANN, JR 3,412,352

CARTON WITH INTERLOCKING CHIME ENGAGING AND CARRYING MEANS Filed Feb. 12, 196

INVENTOR FREDERICK ENAUHANN)! BY ll "il am. 7 w

United States Patent 3,412,852 CARTON WITH INTERLOCKING CHIME ENGAG- ING AND CARRYING MEANS Frederick E. Naumann, Jr., Old Tappan, Ni, assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed Feb. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 432,335 Claims. (Cl. 266-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DHSCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a carton of the wrap-around type intended to receive two rows of cans. A panel which is disposed uppermost in the carton has finger receiving openings each located between four adjacent cans and the material removed in the formation of the openings defining a flap which interlocks with a pair of transversely adjacent cans whereby a direct lifting force is applied to at least two of the cans during the lifting of the package.

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in cartons of the wrap-around type, and more particularly to a novel carton which is particularly adapted to be interlocked with cans or other containers having radially directed peripheral projections on the ends thereof.

At the present it is the practice of merchandizing a plurality of containers, such as cans, in a package wherein the containers form a part of the package, and are bonded together by means of a carton of the wrap-round type. The containers are normally disposed within such cartons in two rows and a top panel of the carton is normally provided with two longitudinally spaced openings, each aligned between four adjacent containers, for the reception of ones fingers whereby the package may be readily gripped and carried. Such cartons have the primary deficiency in that the lifting force is primarily applied to the top panel thereof with the entire weight of the containers disposed within the carton being transmitted from the bottom panel through the side panels to the top panel. Attempts have been made to interlock the upper portions of containers with the carton at the upper corners thereof and along the longitudinal center of the top panel. However, these interlocks have left much to be desired.

In the past, in order to form the finger receiving openings in the top panels of cartons, and to restrict the direct contact of ones fingers with the containers disposed within the carton, small flaps have been provided. However, other than preventing the direct contact of ones fingers with the center ones of the containers, the flaps have not provided a useful purpose.

It is the primary object of this invention to form the top panel of a carton of the wrap-around type with a pair of flaps of which each flap is aligned with a space between four adjacent containers and wherein each flap has a pair of shoulders so spaced from the carton panel whereby they will lock beneath the projections on the containers in a manner wherein when a lifting force is applied to the carton panel, the center ones of the containers disposed therein will have a direct lifting force applied thereto through the flaps.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carton of the wrap-around type with a panel having finger openings therein and wherein in the forming of the finger openings flaps are formed, the flaps being propectable from the carton panel into the interior of the carton and having shoulders for engaging beneath chimes of cans for the purpose of locking the cans to the panel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel 3,412,852 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 ICC readily carriable package which includes a plurality of containers disposed in two rows and a carton wrapped therearound, the carton having a top panel opposing upper ends of the containers, the containers having radially directed peripheral projections at their upper ends, and the carton top panel having a pair of finger openings therein aligned with the spaces between four adjacent ones of the containers and the carton panel further having flaps formed in the formation of the finger openings with the flaps being connected to the top panel by means of connecting straps and having shoulders engageable beneath the projections of the containers disposed therebetween whereby when the package is lifted by ones fingers inserted through the finger openings, the containers disposed between ones fingers are lifted by the interlocks of the flaps therewith.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel blank for a carton of the wraparound type wherein the blank includes a panel intended to oppose ends of containers arranged in two rows, the blank panel having cuts therein for defining finger openings, the cuts further defining flaps which are .projectable out of the plane of the panel, the flaps being disposed in oppositely facing relation and being connected to the remainder of the panel by means of connecting straps, the flaps further having shoulders disposed on opposite sides of the connecting strap-s with the shoulders being spaceable from the panel when the flaps are struck out of the plane thereof.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a carton formed in accordance with this invention and shows the same as it would appear when filled with containers, the containers not being shown.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG- URE 1 and shows the specific details of the carton of FIGURE 1 with containers positioned therein.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2 and shows more specifically the relationship of the flaps of the carton with respect to the containers.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG- URE 2 and shows the specific interlock of a flap with two containers.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank from which the carton of FIGURE 1 is formed.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, reference is first made to FIGURE 1 wherein there is illustrated a carton formed in accordance with this invention, the carton being generally referred to by the numeral 10. The carton It is particularly adapted for receiving six cans and includes a top panel 11 which has connected thereto along interrupted fold lines 12 a pair of side panels 13 and 14. The side panel 13 has connected to the lower edge thereof along a fold line 15 a bottom panel 16. A second bottom panel 17 is connected to the side panel 14 along another fold line 15. The bottom panels 16 and 17 are disposed in partially overlapped relation and are connected together by a suitable mecahnical interlock 18.

It is to be noted that the bottom panel 16 is provided with an integral upstanding keel 20 having notches 21 formed therein for the reception of chimes or other types of radially directed peripheral projections. Also, it is to be noted that along the fold lines 15 there are generally H-shaped cuts 22 for the purpose of forming openings 23 for the reception of container chimes or other radially directed projections of containers. In this manner the lower portions of containers are interlocked with the carton so as to prevent movement thereof within the carton and to facilitate the lifting of the containers by means of the carton when a package is formed.

Referring now to FIGURE 5 in particular, it will be seen that there is illustrated a portion of a blank for forming the carton 10, the blank being generally referred to by the numeral 24. The blank 24 is provided with a plurality of generally C-shaped cuts 25 which are spaced along the fold lines 12 for the purpose of forming openings 26 and flaps 27 along the upper corners of the carton 10, as is shown in FIGURE 1. The openings 26 are particularly positioned for receiving the projecting container chimes or other radially directed peripheral projections of containers so as to interlock the upper ends of the containers with the carton 10.

The panel 11 also has a plurality of tabs 28 struck downwardly therefrom at longitudinally spaced intervals along the longitudinal center thereof. The tabs 28 are positionable between two adjacent containers so as to maintain the proper relationship of the containers with respect to each other and to form a slight interlock between the carton and the containers due to the compressibility of the material of the tabs 28, the carton 10 normally being formed of a suitable inexpensive paperboard.

In addition, the top panel 11 is provided with reversely folded locking tabs 30 for engagement within the recessed ends of the endmost containers so as to limit the longitudinal shifting thereof. The tabs 30 are shown in FIGURE 5 and are in their folded positions in FIG- URE 1.

Although cartons, such as the above-described carton 10, have numerous features for interlocking containers with the carton, both for the purpose of preventing relative movement of the containers within the carton and ot facilitate the lifing of the containers by the carton, substantially all of the lifting force exerted on the end panel 11 is transferred to the containers through the side panels 13 and 14 with the bottom panels 16 and 17 supporting most of the weight of the containers. However, the carton 10 is provided with additional means for interlocking engagement with containers so as to permit the center ones of the containers to be principally lifted directly through the panel 11. At this time reference is made to FIGURE 2, for example, which illustrates the details of a typical container which may be positioned within the carton 10. A typical container is a can which is referred to by the numeral 31 and which includes a can body 32 having the opposite ends thereof closed by means of can ends 33 (FIGURE 3). The can ends are secured to the can body 32 by means of double seams 34 which form radially directed peripherally projections in the form of chimes. However, the invention is not limited to a carton specifically intended for the carrying of cans in that other types of containers having radially directed peripheral projections may be equally as well carried within the carton 10 and interlocked therewith in accordance with this invention.

It is to be noted that the carton 10 is particularly adapted for receiving six cans 31 arranged in two rows of three cans each, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 3. Each four adjacent cans of the six cans define a space 35 therebetween. The top panel 11 is provided with a finger opening 36 aligned with each of the spaces 35 so that ones fingers may be passed through the'top panel 11 and down into the spaces 35 for the purpose of lifting the package formed by the carton 10 and the cans 31. In the formation of the finger openings 36, material is necessarily removed from the end panel 11. In accordance with this invention, the material removed from the end panel 11 in the formation of each finger opening 36 is in the form of a flap 37 which is defined by a cut line 38 and a fold line 39, the fold line 39 extending transversely of the panel 11. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that the flap 37 includes a connecting strap 40 which is directly connected to the remainder of the top panel 11 along the fold line 39. In addition, the shape of the flap 37 is such so as to define a pair of shoulders 41 which are spaced On opposite sides of the connecting strap 40 and which face upwardly towards the underside of the top panel 11.

It is to be noted that the two flaps 37 are disposed in oppositely facing directions so that when the fiaps 37 are swung out of the plane on the top panel 11, they will be disposed at adjacent edges of the finger openings 36. Also, it is to be noted that the length of each connecting strap 40 is such that the shoulders 41 will engage beneath and lock under the chimes or radial directed peripheral projections 34 of the containers, as is clearly shown in FIG- URES 2, 3 and 4. In addition, it will be readily apparent that since ones fingers engage the flaps 37 in a manner so as to urge the flaps 37 together between the central containers, the flaps 37 will be transversely bowed in between the central containers in the manner best shown in FIG- URE 3. This transverse bowing of the flaps 37 results in the retention of the flaps 37 in tight engagement with the can bodies 32 and the definite positioning of the shoulders 41 beneath the chimes 34. Thus, when an upwardly directed force is applied to the carton panel 11, the center ones of the containers or cans 31 will be directly suspended from the top panel 11 through the flaps 37 and will be directly lifted. Thus, the undesirable load placed upon the side panels and bottom panels of the carton will become primarily limited to the endmost ones of the containers.

At this time it is pointed out that although only two containers are disposed between the flaps 37 in FIGURE 3, depending upon the particular size of the containers, where the spacing of the finger openings 36 would not be excessive, it is possible to position four containers between the flaps 37 with each flap engaging two containers.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the fiap construction and the relationship thereof with respect to containers without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a plurality of containers disposed in at least two longitudinal rows with said containers having radially directed peripheral projections at the upper ends thereof, and a wraparound carton around said containers with said carton including a panel opposing said container upper ends and a flap on said panel projecting into the space between four adjacent containers and locked beneath projections on two transversely adjacent containers of said four adjacent containers.

2. A package comprising a plurality of containers disposed in at least two longitudinal rows with said containershaving radially directed peripheral projections at the upper ends thereof, and a wrap-around carton around said containers with said carton including a panel opposing said container upper ends, the arrangement of the containers providing two longitudinally spaced spaces each being defined by a group of four adjacent containers, and a flap on said panel projecting into each space with said flaps being in opposed relation and each flap being locked beneath projections on two transveresly adjacent containers disposed generally between said flaps.

3. A package comprising a plurality of containers disposed in at least two longitudinal rows with said containers having radially directed peripheral projections at the upper ends thereof, and a wrap-around carton around said containers with said carton including a panel opposing said container upper ends, and a flap on said panel projecting into the space between four adjacent containers and said flap having spaced shoulders locked beneath projections on two transversely adjacent containers of said four adjacent containers.

4. A package comprising a plurality of containers disposed in at least two rows with said containers having radially directed peripheral projections at the upper ends thereof, and a wrap-around carton around said containers with said carton including a panel opposing said container upper ends, and a flap on said panel projecting into the space between four adjacent containers and said flap having spaced shoulders locked beneath projections on two of said four adjacent containers, said flap being transversely bowed generally between said two transversely adjacent containers to retain said shoulders in position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1961 Stone 206-65 7/ 1962 Champlin 206-65 1/1964 Copping 20665 1/1964 Wuerthner 22940 11/ 1964 lHiggs et a]. 22940 1/ 1965 Conrades 206-65 9/1966 Graser 220-112 5/1962 Ellis et a1. 20665 FOREIGN PATENTS 11/1963 Austria.

5. The package of claim 1 wherein said carton includes 15 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD Primary Emmi-"eh means for lifting the same through said panel. 

